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You’ve finally resolved to paint the end room, but you’re not sure where to start?

The key to a smart and successful painting project begins with preparation.

The first decision is to determine which colour will work best for your room. This is not as simple as it sounds, for instance will your room look more appropriate in cool or warm colours?

To help you get started these general principles apply:

Cool colours will:

Make a room appear larger.

Make objects appear smaller and lighter in weight.

Appear to make time pass more slowly. (Hard to believe, but true.)

Make the room appear colder in temperature.

Have a dampening effect on the quality of conversations.

Warm colours will:

Encourage and maintain body warmth.

Make a room appear smaller and cosier.

Make objects appear larger and heavier in weight.

Appear to make time pass more quickly.

Your second consideration is to match the purpose of the room with an appropriate colour. When you do this, it is helpful to consider the amount of natural light the room receives. For instance, a day room that receives a lot of natural light would benefit from a cool colour, but a dining room or parents’ lounge would benefit from warmer colours to project a feeling of warmth, cosiness and intimacy.

To help you make this decision, it is worthwhile understanding the psychology behind colours therefore you may consider these:

If you use these basic principles when you’re ready to choose interior paint colours and if you match these colour ideas with the main purpose you’re going to use each room, you are odds on to choose a paint colour that works for you. This means you will receive a lot more satisfaction and enjoyment from your living environment.

Be brave! It’s your house; let it reflect exactly how you want to feel. A fresh coat of paint is a simple and cost effective way of adding value to your home.

At the same time, should you be thinking of placing your home on the market, a bright paint job will help it to sell quickly and for more money.

There is no doubt Perth has well and truly ditched the old ‘dullsville’ tag of more than a decade ago.

Several fantastic urban regeneration projects have showcased what can be achieved by reinvigorating and repurposing underutilised or abandoned spaces to bring vitality and life to the city. These projects have helped Perth to transform into a more vibrant, cosmopolitan place that attracts people to live, work and play.

Yagan Square, the winner of the National UDIA Award for Excellence in the Urban Renewal category, is a prime example of an area that was once a physical barrier between the city and Northbridge due to the rail line cutting through the centre, becoming the vibrant heart of our city.

Elizabeth Quay is another example of a regeneration project that is reconnecting the city, this time with the Swan River foreshore, and providing an attractive waterfront precinct that includes opportunities for retail and office and residential development, along with being a major tourist attraction.

Other projects that are underway or in planning include Subiaco Oval and Princess Margaret Hospital sites, Kings Square in Fremantle and Waterbank in East Perth.

Another site that has huge potential is the old East Perth Power Station. It was encouraging to hear the McGowan Government has allocated $30 million in this year’s state budget toward site works to bring the power station site closer to redevelopment. The disused station has been sitting dormant since it closed operations in 1981 and the then East Perth Redevelopment Authority (EPRA) acquired it in 2003.

Since that time, the surrounding area has flourished while not much has happened directly on the site. The government called for expressions of interest from private developers in 2015 with no proponent being finalised.

The site itself is a great opportunity to capitalise on surrounding development, including the new Matagarup Bridge to Optus Stadium, and to provide a focal point for new residential development in the area given the government has also earmarked it as a new Metronet precinct.

There are other sites around Perth that would benefit from similar action, including the South Fremantle Power Station that also continues to sit dormant. That power station site is in the final stage of a 20-year Cockburn Coast redevelopment plan. The vision for the site is as a centrepiece of the redevelopment area and it will be great to see its potential realised.

REIWA supports the Western Australian Planning Commission’s (WAPC) position statement on lots of less than 100sqm and congratulates the department on its leadership and innovation as a means to meeting the changing needs of Western Australia’s population.

Housing on Lots Less than 100sqm will provide guidance on location and development considerations for proposed subdivision and building design for lots less than 100sqm but larger than 80sqm.

Compact housing that is built on smaller blocks is well established in the east coast housing market, with the rise of interest in Western Australia showing we are ready to increase our housing diversity, providing more affordable options to our changing lifestyles.

An example of these micro-lots is already in place at Ellenbrook’s Verge micro-lot precinct, with 11 two-story townhouses, 10 of which are on 80sqm lots. This has showcased how good design can make even small lots seem bright, spacious and liveable.

Micro-lots will be a positive introduction to the market and will receive strong demand from a range of buyers, from first homeowners to seniors right-sizing. Lots under 100sqm have a strong role to play in the delivery of affordable housing options for all Western Australians.

In addition, the Government will look to add location criteria for potential micro-lots, which we believe will assist in increasing density around centres. This is essential to capitalise on existing infrastructure and amenities while utilising zones likely not suitable for apartment developments.

It is our view this position statement will be an ideal product to be used in the delivery of ‘metrohubs’ especially in areas with relatively low median house price, where apartment developers will be reluctant to invest.

We urge developers who undertake these projects to consider including sustainability features. The major drawcard for lots under 100sqm is affordability. The inclusion of solar power, solar hot water and the use of sustainable building materials that will reduce utility bills for residents could provide an additional benefit to buyers while adding minimal costs to construction.

Overall, the real estate industry is supportive of the position statement as a way to be able to deliver an alternative form of housing currently missing from the market and also looks forward to potential inclusion into the R-Codes following adequate monitoring and review of the initial implementation.

Perth has one on the most affordable housing markets of any capital city in Australia, with an average Perth resident needing only about seven years to save a 20% deposit for a property purchase.

A report from ANZ and Core-Logic reveals housing affordability is the best it has been in years in Perth.

Over the past decade, Perth dwelling values increased a sluggish 4.9% while household incomes rose 32% over the same period.

In some areas it only takes 5 or 6 years to save for a deposit. These areas include Armadale (5.8 years), Kwinana (5.1), Rockingham (5.9), Swan (5.9), Serpentine (5.4), Wanneroo (6.2) and Gosnells (6.2).

Other areas, the median dwelling value is about four or five times a household’s annual gross income – these include Armadale (4.3 dwelling value to income ratio), Joondalup (5.4), Perth city (5.4), Rockingham (4.4), Swan (4.4) and Wanneroo (4.6).

However, Cottesloe-Claremont remains the most expensive area – it still takes 14.5 years on average to save for a 20% deposit there, with a 10.9 dwelling value to income ratio.

Across Perth, the average renting household is spending 23.1% of its income on rent, while those paying a mortgage are spending 28.4% of their income servicing an 80% loan to value ratio mortgage.

The only cities in which it is faster to save a deposit are Darwin (4.8 years on average) and Canberra (6.9 years) – taking into account the average level of household incomes in each city.

Housing in regional WA is also more affordable than it was a decade ago because of the substantial decline in dwelling values post-resources boom. The dwelling value to household income ratio hasn’t been as low as it is currently since March 2005. Similarly, declines in rents over recent years have meant renting has also become more affordable.

Over the past decade, dwelling values in regional WA fell 14% while household incomes increased 25.4%, which led to the big improvement in housing affordability.

The number of residential rental agreements signed in Perth in the first quarter of the year leapt 131% compared to the first quarter of 2018, according to Knight Frank’s recent research report Residential Local View Q1 2019.

“There is a clear increase in leasing activity when compared with this time last year,” Knight Frank Director and Head of Residential Property Management WA Tom Berry said. “The number of people attending property inspections has grown noticeably and most are less complacent now the market is strengthening – we are witnessing quicker turnaround times for the submission of applications, with some starting to miss out on their first choice,” he said.

Mr Berry said, “The first rental increases are coming through now and a few of our tenants are considering whether now is the time they should but their first home – all trends we haven’t seen for some time.”

One segment to record noticeable growth was the interstate market. “The local-based market is still moving about, which is great for stability, but in the past quarter we have witnessed a stark increase in those moving from interstate,” Mr Berry said.

The report found the number of contracts signed by people moving to Western Australia from other states increased from 14% of all leases in the first quarter of 2018 to 19% of all leases in the corresponding quarter in 2019. Tenants worked in two main industries, the research revealed – in resources (from 17% in 2018 to 31% in 2019) and in finance (up from 10% to 13% in the same period).

“With business confidence building and office vacancy tightening in the CBD, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of tenants working in the finance sector who have signed tenancy agreements,” Mr Berry said.

“There’s a clear sign of activity picking up in the resources sector again, as relocation agents are very much in the market.” This is a trend Nicheliving Manager Residential Property Management and Sales Peter Taliangis has noticed. “There has probably been a 20% increase in applications from interstate people – there is definitely a job/employment-based demand filtering into the rental market.”

“We are expecting many of them to settle in for 6-12 months and then start looking at house and land packages or established housing to buy once they have work history and feel comfortable in Perth.”

Mr Taliangis said, however, that the activity in the market was not limited to this group of tenants. “There’s definitely been an upswing in interest mainly from People new to Perth from overseas who have been here between a few weeks and three months,” he said. “They stay with friends and take up short-term accommodation initially, then look for 6-12 month leases.”

He said he had noticed an overall uptick of interest in the rental market. “The enquiry rate on many of our properties has gone from 2 to 3 people per inspection at some properties to 40 people at one inspection recently – we have definitely seen an increased interest across the board and we are managing properties from Mandurah to Mindarie.

Most tenants in this market should be expecting rent increases in the near future,” he said.

Selling your house? Here are a few tricks from the advertising industry to help you think like Mad Men’s Don Draper. Houses are a product to be sold like any other so some basic advertising rules work well.

Positioning your property. How you position your property in the market is a crucial first step to getting it sold. You need to consider three things:

The features of your property. Look at your house objectively and write down the key features e.g. spacious living areas, architect designed, near good schools, sub-dividable block, original fireplaces.

The ‘what’s in it for me factor’. In other words, if someone were to buy your property, what are the benefits to him or her? What will it get for them or allow them to do? E.g. entertain friends, have their mum live with them, catch the train to work, no weekend maintenance.

Who is your most likely buyer? Your property will not appeal to everyone, so based on the above features and benefits you now need to get clear on your most likely buyer. Firstly, think about their demographics. Are they married with two primary school aged kids? First time buyers with no kids? Single professionals? Downsizers? Overlay this insight with their lifestyle. Do they like entertaining? Do they spend a lot of time at home? Will they want a big garden to maintain if they’re always travelling? Finally think about their values and what motivates them. Is it freedom, fun, excellence or something else? Remember that your most likely buyer might not be like you or at the same stage of life as you. Now you’ve got a good picture of your most likely buyer, the benefits to them of buying your property and the features they are looking for.

The idea. The idea is how you communicate your positioning with the most impact. In advertising terms this is the actual ad. A successful ad makes the product appealing and forms an emotional connection that persuades consumers to buy the product. When selling, your property is now the ad and it’s your job to make it appealing to your most likely buyer. Here are some examples: Change a storage room into a nursery; set up an entertaining area near the pool; find a quiet study area away from the living room; change a kid’s play room into a formal dining room and remain yourself that everything communicates. From the cookbook on the kitchen bench, to the style of quilt cover on the master bed, to the magazines on the coffee table, and the hand soap in the bathroom. Your aim is for your most likely buyer to think ‘This house is for me. I have to live here.’ Your message is how you communicate your idea. When selling your property, this covers three main areas:

Copy. The copy should talk directly to your most likely buyer in their language and explain the features and benefits. Put simply ‘what will your buyers gain by buying your property?’

Pictures & video. With a correctly positioned property, picture selection will be easy and will showcase the features and benefits that will hook a buyer enough to view the property. Images should always be vibrant and highlight the best aspects of what’s in frame. Video is being used more often, to offer tours and behind the scenes of your property ‘experience’.

Media. Think about how different combinations of media can get your message across in the right way to the right audience at the right time.

And that’s it!

Position your property to your most likely buyer, make it as appealing as possible to them, then communicate that appeal through copy, pictures and the media they use, and of course, ask your agent, they’ve done this all before and can advise.

A small, cramped kitchen can make cooking extremely frustrating and make entertaining an impossible nightmare. If an extension or a refit isn’t convenient, there is a range of practical alternatives you can use to make a poky kitchen feel more spacious and user friendly.

A wall of cupboards makes for a heavy look, especially if the doors are timber. Try replacing some of the doors with glass, and then fill these new cupboards with your crystal or pretty china. This will lighten up the area as well as add to the aesthetics.

Alternatively, replace overhead cupboards with open shelves and fill this space with stylish glass jars full of your most popular foodstuffs. Additionally, plate racks have returned to popularity and can be used to free up some cupboard space. They look attractive and make serving meals that much easier.

Curtains in a small kitchen can be limiting. Blinds are a contemporary alternative and if privacy isn’t a problem, perhaps leave the window bare altogether. The additional light during the day will provide the feeling of extra space.

Hanging utensils is a useful way to free up a drawer or cupboard and can be achieved easily and economically with the very stylish racks and rails that are available today. If you have quality cookware, hanging it in your kitchen will make it a feature and enhance accessibility.

It is important to look at the symmetry in your kitchen. When this is working positively, a small space can feel much larger. Make all your work surfaces the same height, including the stove top. Clear through ways and go for the minimalist approach. Clutter can be claustrophobic.

Finally, floors can improve the perception of space. With finishes such as tile and stone, use light neutral colours on the walls. This will give the impression of ongoing space rather than a defined, closed off feeling. The lighter the colour on the walls, the greater the perception of space in the kitchen.

If you think you may be moving anytime in the near future, then fixing up your kitchen is one of the best ways of making more money on the sale of your home.

The battle over housing is on in the last week of the election campaign with Scott Morrison vowing to make it easier for first-homebuyers to get into the market.

Launching the Coalition’s official bid for re-election, the Prime Minister yesterday unveiled a plan that would enable young people on single salaries of $125,000 or couples on a dual income of $200,000 to only require a deposit of 5 per cent to buy a new home.

The remaining up to 15 per cent of their loan would be guaranteed by the government, saving buyers about $10,000 in lenders mortgage insurance.

The funds would be guaranteed for the lifetime of the loan and if buyers default the taxpayer would be up for the bill via $500 million in equity through the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation.

The policy was matched by Labor immediately but sector experts say more detail is needed to determine if the measure will have as big an impact as hoped, with the Government yet to decide on regional caps for home purchase prices.

And some suggested the scheme, which will start from January 1 next year, may result in first-homebuyers overextending themselves or become a mechanism that keeps property prices unfairly high.

Even the peak first-homebuyers association said Labor’s reforms to negative gearing and capital gains tax would be better drivers to bring down house prices and get more first-time buyers into the market. “It could work out as a negative for first-homebuyers in the long run because it could keep house prices high,” First Home Buyers Australia director Taj Singh said.

“Labor’s reforms to negative gearing and capital gains are ultimately still a better plan as they will bring down prices overall.”

Mr Morrison said the policy was modelled on a similar policy in New Zealand.

He said it would give Australians wanting to buy a home “the first leg up on the first rung of the ladder”.

The NHFIC would partner with private lenders to deliver the scheme, prioritising smaller lenders to boost competition.

Australian Finance Group chief executive David Bailey said for West Australians in particular the scheme would be a welcome relief. “We’ve been on record saying the WA housing market has been problematic for last couple of years so any stimulus should be welcomed,” he said.

“Particularly in the WA market this will be a very good thing.”

Entrepreneur Dick Smith said he worried it might “encourage young people to get into tremendous debt”.

Louis Christopher from SQM Research said any regional cap on house price needed to be reasonable and warned that the expected uptake might not be as great if caps were too low in cities where house prices were high.

Gus Ledauskas, 31, and his wife Karolina Ledauskiene, 29, are just two of 10,000 Australians who could benefit from the policy.

The couple, who were at a home inspection in Tuart Hill yesterday, have been looking for their first home for several months, and welcomed the announcement.

Real Estate Institute of WA president Damian Collins said the scheme was “certainly welcomed” as was anything that “gets more people into buying a home”.

He said it was encouraging to know the scheme would come through regardless of the election outcome.

“It will get some more homebuyers into the market, especially those who did have a deposit but didn’t want to pay a mortgage insurance,” Mr Collins said.

“WA has already had a good State-based program with Keystart, but this will certainly help more people and give them more options.”

Mr Collins said he was concerned about the scheme’s start date, slated for January, and encouraged both parties to shorten the time line.

“It might cause a delay (in the market) … people who were going to buy now and are ready to do so might sit on the sidelines and wait now, which could impact the market,” he said.

“A wiser idea would be to bring it forward.”

Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen said Labor would match the commitment.

Labor will today launch a blitz reminding Australians of the 2014 Abbott government Budget which they say was a disaster.

“After six years of failure, and six days before an election, the Liberals are desperately trying to tell young Australians they understand their struggles to buy their first home,” Mr Bowen said.

If you’re intending to sell your home this year, you’ll want to invest some time into de-cluttering – mess and chaos is one of the top turn offs for buyers. We accumulate a lot of things moving through life. Many outlive their usefulness (and if we’re being honest, some didn’t have much use to begin with). But we’re human and stuff sticks to us, which is why it’s important we shed some layers every now and then to maintain order and harmony.

Ask for guidance from those you trust to be honest. Your agent will be impartial, and truly great friends often will be too. Check with them to gauge the full extent of your clutter and where you should focus your efforts. You may only have one room that requires a true work over.

Look beyond what the eye can see. Clutter likes to hide in corners, on shelves and under beds. Hunt it down and don’t just stop with the most obvious areas. A prospective buyer will open cupboards and snoop into nooks and crannies to check out storage and other features. Make sure they get the best impression.

Sort things into these categories. Things moving with you, things to donate and things to toss. Many charities can benefit from goods and clothing you no longer need. Have a garage sale for items you have culled that are in great shape and still worth something. Enough gold coin donations and you could convert mess into a bit of extra money to buy something you need in your new home, or treat yourself to a fancy dinner because you sold so much.

Get a jump start on packing for your new place. Stack those trinkets away and you’ll be ready to invite buyers through your home before you know it. Personal items should be stowed first, keeping any lovely items of neutral décor till last (they could save you from having to invest in furniture or accessories for home staging).

Create space in the kitchen by clearing surfaces. Let the buyer see your counter tops, walls, even the fridge door. Don’t just shove items into another cupboard. Apply the same rigor to removing that clutter as you would any other room, and sort ready for packing, donating or tossing.

Leave some space in cupboards. Even if their contents are impeccably neat, buyers will want them to feel spacious, and be able to picture their own things in there.

Store boxes you’ve packed until that SOLD sign goes up. Make sure they’re not visible to people inspecting your home.

Get some help! Enlist family members, friends – whoever can lend a hand to make the process less frustrating and time consuming. Pop on a favourite play list while you clean and sort and before you know it, your place looks like new. If you’re really struggling, or don’t have access to an extra pair of hands, you can explore the services of a professional organiser to give you a road map and set you on the right track.

Start small (but start). Remember the clutter didn’t arrive in your home all at once. It won’t leave that way either. Pick a room or an area and make a start – you’re on your way!

If you’re selling your home, you’ll have a bunch of people (wisely) advising you to make sure it smells nice for inspections and viewings to help your chances of landing a sale.

Eric Spangenberg from Washington State University conducted a study out of Switzerland back in 2010 to determine the most “commercially inspiring odours” – that is, what smells make a person feel compelled to make a transaction (or at the least, feel more comfortable about it).

They tested a bevy of smells with Swiss shoppers and found that simple rules. Sales went up and people were more in the mood to buy when a single, uncomplicated odour was in the air, versus multiple or complex whiffs. Spangenberg says this is because the more complicated the scent, the more our brains focus on processing it, rather than processing what’s around us (including stuff to buy or explore).

In a series of separate experiments, the researchers had students solve world problems in competing scent conditions. The students solved more problems in less time when the simple scent was in the air, than with the complicated one or no scent at all. “Most people are processing it at an unconscious level, but it is impacting them – the important thing from the retailer’s perspective and the marketer’s perspective is that a pleasant scent isn’t necessarily an effective scent,” he said. The best scent when selling is clean, fresh air, in other words no overt smell.

Spangenberg advises against the following:

Artificial smells such as sprays or plug ins.

They smell as though they are masking something (they probably are).

A scented candle, incense or pot pourri.

Scent is such a personal thing. You might think the incense sticks you bought in Bali or the expensive candle that you received for Christmas are helping the sale of your property but others may not share your taste or worse might have an allergic reaction to it.

Baking or brewing coffee.

Staging has moved on and most people have heard the trick of cookie dough, fresh bread baking or coffee brewing, but I think it’s trying too hard.

Most buyers are wise to these tricks and might see it as just that – a trick.

So smells can help sell your house, but just don’t go nuts with the incense, or it might backfire.